All posts tagged ‘mushroom’

I was really excited to get this game downloaded to my son’s Nintendo 3DS. I’ve been a fan of Mario since my parents bought our family the first Nintendo system when I was 6 years old (did I just age myself?) and we played the original Mario Bros. Thankfully the games have come a long way since I was a kid and I’m happy to say this game keeps in with the spirit of the characters and the storyline.

The storyline is much the same as the previous games. Princess Peach is the damsel in distress and it’s up to Mario, Luigi and their friends to save her. The game itself has over 80 levels across water, land, air and snow to fight through before the final battle for the princess. Some of the bosses are from previous games and others are new to this version. The same goes for the powers and abilities that Mario and Luigi can obtain. My favorite part is being able to store extra powers while in the level. For instance, if you have fire power and you come across another one, the game will bank it for you to use later.

The refreshed look of Mario and his companions is not a big enough change for you to do any double takes and it doesn’t take any time at all to get used to. A few of the powers have changed as well but it’s a good change. My husband thinks this game might be a little easier than the previous games, but I rather enjoyed it that way. I’m not a hard core gamer so when levels are too hard, I just give up and let it collect dust on my shelf.

Image: Nintendo

Cheat alert – If you fail the level enough times, when you start the level again, the game will give you an advantage that will allow you to finish the level unharmed.

One of the neat features I heard about (but was unable to try out myself) is the ability for two players to play at once on their own devices. As long as both devices have the game loaded, they can share the screen and play at the same time. Maybe I’ll get my husband his own device for Christmas so he and our son can play together instead of fighting over it all the time.

For the Mario fan this game is a must have and for anyone who has not play any of the previous games , this is a great place to start.

New Mario Bros. 2 is available for the Nintendo 3Ds and is rated E for Everyone (with a side of comic mischief)

Halloween is upon us and, in the northern hemisphere, life as we know it is battening down the hatches. Autumn, the season of dying, is in full swing, which makes October the perfect month to learn a little more about decay.

It’s generally regarded as ugly, dangerous, and even horrible, but decomposition is a necessary process and one in which lurks unexpected beauty. As ever, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but some of the organisms that evolved to do life’s dirtiest jobs look so cool that a few years ago, I started photographing them during my autumn walks.

Photo by Kay T. Holt

Photo by Kay T. Holt

Photo by Kay T. Holt

But even if fungi give you the heebie-jeebies (’tis the season!), there’s no denying the importance of their work. As Hank Green said in a timely Crash Course video: “Fungi. They thrive on death, and in the process make all life possible.”